With the ever increasing popularity of the touch screen hand held electronic devices came the demand for effective touch screen protectors. While the beautiful and glossy screen of touch screen hand held electronic devices such as iPad device looks great, in actual use, the amount of fingerprints left behind significantly damages the appearance and display quality of the screen. For this reason, the device is sold with a screen cleaning cloth. As frequent cleaning is not desirable, various screen protecting devices have been suggested.
Several kinds of touch screen protector are currently available. The ZAGG INVISIBLESHIELD™ product is a glare reduction touch screen protector. Its major drawback is the difficulty to apply the protector to a hand held device. The anti-glare INCIPIO™ screen protector often traps dust particles and bubbles even after meticulous cleaning and application. Other touch screen protectors currently available in the market are also unsatisfactory to the consumers, as a result of their tendency to trap air bubbles and dust, even with careful application. When in use, these touch screen protectors are in direct physical contact with the touch screen of the electronic device, either by static or application of adhesives. In the latter scenario, when the screen protectors are removed, diligent cleaning is needed to restore the touch screen to its shining luster. JP 2002328613 relates to a cover sheet comprising a transparent plastic film to protect a display screen, said cover sheet having a spacer comprising countless dots on a surface opposite the aforesaid display screen. U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,837 relates to a plastic film screen protector having a slightly roughened surface so that the majority of the film facing an electronic device screen does not substantially touch the screen. As a result, the roughened surface of the protector prevents interference patterns from arising when the film touches the screen.
None of these prior art devices has been found to be completely suitable, such that there is a need in the industry for a touch screen protector that is able to be installed easily and quickly without problems of trapping air bubbles or dust. One recent solution to the problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,044,942. This touch screen protector includes a plastic film that includes adhesive at its periphery in areas that correspond to non-touch sensitive areas of the touch screen. A spacer is provided between the touch screen adhesive and film, and the film is sufficiently flexible to provide touch contact with the touch screen for operation of the device.
In addition to the protector of U.S. Pat. No. 8,044,942, further improvements upon the art are desirable, and the touch screen protector of the present invention now provides one such improvement.